Sorry for lack of updates...

Maximus is getting so big! He is getting so fun now. Not that he wasn't fun all along, just that he learns something new everyday! Last week on Wednesday he woke up pretty miserable and pretty much wouldn't stop screaming. He is never that way so I got a little worried about him. Plus he kept pulling at his right ear and had been for a week. At first I just thought that he discovered his ear but when he kept screaming and pulling at it I decided to take him in to the Dr. Sure enough he had an ear infection. Poor kid! I felt so bad because he was so miserable and I couldn't help him all but holding him and cuddling for two days. Which I didn't mind! We started him on some rice cereal about 2 weeks ago and he does pretty good with it. Sometimes he eats really well and other times its kind of a fight, but I haven't given up. He is almost rolling to his side every time he grabs his toes. I am hoping that he will start rolling over all the way soon. He loves to stand! He hates sitting and wants to walk so bad! You can just tell he wants to go everywhere but can't quite get where he wants. He also talks like crazy! I can't understand a word he is saying, but he sure can carry on a conversation. He also laughs a lot and is very ticklish. We go in to the Dr this Thursday to do another weight check and see how his development is going. I'm a little nervous because he lost 2 ounces being sick. I just hope he has gained that back and then some and that he will be over 11 lbs!

Tony and I are excited for summer and 7 peaks this year! We are really looking forward to the many adventures this summer with our new little addition and we hope he has just as much fun! We will be camping, and swimming and BBQing and hanging out with friends. Also this summer, our 2nd anniversary! Its crazy how time flies! I am also looking forward to our anniversary even if we don't do anything but sit home. We also have a couple of family reunions to attend too so that will be excited especially since some of our extended family hasn't seen Maximus.

Getting ready to eat his rice cereal

The day he was sick, he held this monkey most of the day. He loves it now!

Eating rice cereal!

Watching Transformers with Dad, He loves this! Watched the whole thing!

He had a blow out this last weekend at my Uncle's house. I had forgot to repack the diaper bag and didn't have any more clothes. Luckily my Aunt had a bin from when my cousin (who is now 17) was a baby, so we had something to put him in after I gave him a rinse in the tub! He sure is a happy baby no matter what! I love him so much!

This morning doing his exercises...

Playing with his toes

Another cute video 

Sorry for all the videos, thats what happens I guess when I put off blogging! Gotta try to be better!

Another thing I want to blog about is losing weight. I am really sick of being big, not necessarily fat, but I am bigger than I want to be and I am sick of it. So I figure that if maybe I keep everyone updated on my progress I'll have a little bit more motivation. I am going to try jogging/walking 3 miles 4X's a week and swimming anywhere from 1/2 mile to a mile every week. I am going to weigh myself every Wednesday so I'll keep you updated on all of the progress. Not sure if I want to put my start weight up or not, but I may. I'll decided and do a post about it Wenesday! And I wouldn't mind some cheering on or motivators! 

Pass or Fail? X-rays and Easter

Tony took his Real Estate test a couple weekends ago and I forgot to mention in the last post that he PASSED!! We were so excited we went and celebrated at Tucanos. It was delicious as always. Now we are just waiting for his license to come in the mail and he can start learning some tricks and trades from one of his friends who owns a brokerage. Tony is pretty excited about this new experience and looks forward to selling or listing some homes, so if you know of anyone wanting to buy or sell send them his way!

Maximus weighs in tomorrow at the Dr. I don't have an appointment, I'm just going in to weigh him. I'm hoping he will be over 11 lbs. Also we got the x-ray results back from the Dr about his head and everything looks fine right now. Suture lines are not fusing together! Yay! But his head is pretty flat in the back. Dr just said we will watch it to make sure it doesn't get flatter and if it gets worse or takes a funny shape we can fix it with one of those awesome helmets kids where now days not just for riding bikes or skateboarding. Or if it gets really bad, which I don't think it will we can see a craniologist for it. 

Maximus is also 4 months old as of Sunday! I can't believe how fast its going. I used to sit and think about when he would be 3 months or 6 months and how forever it seemed away when I was pregnant. Now it's here and I'm loving every minute of him! He reached a couple of milestones I've been working with him on. I finally got him to take a nap Monday IN HIS CRIB, ON HIS TUMMY for 3 HOURS! I was shocked he lasted that long. I was so happy. I've been trying it everyday for a while and he finally gave in. Everyday I keep trying. He mostly only lasts an hour, but at least he's still doing it. Also I've been showing him his toes and using his hands to touch them and play with them trying to get him to do it on his own. One of the OT's from Kids On The Move showed me this. Yesterday, I had him laying on the couch next to me trying to get him to take a little nap while I read a few chapters but he decided playing was more important and I looked over at him and he was playing with his feet!! I was so excited! I pulled my phone out and captured it! So here is the video: (Don't mind my baby babbling voice)

He has also discovered more vocal sounds and goos and screams a lot. I need to get him on video doing this too, but haven't yet. I'll try to get a good one of him in the next couple of days and post it in the next post. For now here are some more pictures. 

Playing Starcraft with dad

Playing outside! He loved it!

In their matching church outfits! We actually went to Sacrament meeting on Sunday! It was nice. 

Sleeping with one of his favorite stuffed animals (which is actually my stuffed animal), Skip. 

I found this teething toy at Target yesterday and he loves it. He loves chewing on things so I thought it would be perfect for him and it is. 

We also had Easter at my moms house this past Sunday! It was so nice! Good food, company and had an Easter egg hunt for the kids and candy bar hunt for the adults. 

Grandpa with Hulk and Maximus 

All the grandkids on my side, I couldn't decide on 1 picture because they were all so funny trying to get a good one wasn't going to happen! But they are all so cute! 

Thanks Grandma Rose! We had a blast!

I have my own agenda Mom!

I took Maximus last Thursday (the 12th) into the pediatrician's office just to get a weight check on him. He hadn't been weighed for 2 weeks, so I was hoping to see a big number. Well to my dismay he was only 10 lbs 4 oz. He only gained 2 oz in two weeks! I was so sad! I couldn't believe it because the only thing that had changed was giving him more in his bottles. My Dr was not in due to spring break and being on vacation. So they wanted me to see the other Dr. I opted not to because of many reasons. Not because I didn't trust his judgement or anything, but because my Dr just knows more about our situation and still doesn't know it all so the last thing I wanted was for another Dr to have to read through Maximus's chart, then ask me what's been going on and pay $25 bucks for him to tell me to just keep doing what I'm doing and he will have my Dr call me when he gets back! So I just told the nurses I would call my Dr when he returned on the following Tuesday. So Tuesday, I called and they just had me make an appointment for Thursday, which was yesterday. We went in at 8am. I was so nervous and scared that he had only gained an ounce or two so I was expecting the worst. But to my surprise, my awesome little man gained 7.5 oz!! So he now weights 10 lbs 11.5 oz! Still small I know, but he gained and that in itself is a miracle. I was so happy. The Dr was happy too but still concerned about him not weighing enough. So he told me to come back next Thursday (the 27th) and we will weigh him again and see where he is at. Also he was going to check with the nutritionist at the hospital and see what else we can do to maybe get Maximus to gain some more weight. So I'm interested to see how this next appointment will go. Man, I thought for sure we were Dr free for a while! Oh well, I guess I should learn by now not to have expectations right? 

Also Tony noticed a couple weeks ago that Maximus has a ridge in his suture lines on his forehead. They told us to watch for these because sometimes they can fuse together, or overlap. Overlapping is ok, and fixable by a helmet or repositioning him while he sleeps. 

But if his skull is fusing together that means surgery to fix it. It's basically like brain surgery. So our Dr ordered some x-rays to see whats going on. Maybe its nothing? Thats what I'm hoping to hear. If something is wrong I hope its just the overlapping and we can fix it quick and not have to put him through another surgery and us to have to worry about something going wrong. Here are some pictures of him getting the X-rays. It was funny because they told me I would need to stand behind the glass and they would let Tony help hold him down because its not fun for mom's to hold their babies down during the procedure, apparently they all scream. I told them I'd be ok, we'd been through enough and I doubted he would get too upset but they kind of insisted I just go behind the glass, and I was fine with that because Tony was going to be with them, but at the same time I was thinking you guys have no idea what we've been through nor do you realize your dealing with a tough little dude! Needless to say, Maximus pretty much thought it was the coolest thing. He didn't cry at all, and he was just having fun kicking the table and staring at all the cool lights in the room! The technician was shocked she told me she was surprised he was doing so well and that she had never seen a baby stay that still and be that content! I wanted to say "Told ya so!", but I kept my cool and just laughed. 

Maximus has also decided to have his own agenda (hence the title of this post). Basically the last week, he sleeps when HE wants to sleep and usually only 20 min every few hours during the day and at night he wakes up crying a lot! So I'm exhausted just a little. Last night he actually slept really well for the first time he didn't wake up crying at all, just woke up to eat. Also he eats when and how much HE wants to eat. So I'm still struggling with that a little but he is eating good so I'm not worried he's not getting enough. He also wants all the attention all the time! I just figure with all this at least its normal right?! I know all babies go through these phases. 

Here are some cute pictures of the last few days or so

in the waiting room at the hospital

Sleeping with Daddy

All tuckered out from yard work 

Sleeping again

Easter

We had a very good Easter! Maximus got an Easter basket from the Easter Bunny and we had a great Sunday at Tony's parents house full of good good, candy and an Easter egg hunt! Maximus was happy for the most part even though the pictures will tell other wise. He is a stinker sometimes. Here are some pictures of Easter.

Eating an Easter egg from his basket

"I'm done taking pictures mom!"

His Easter Basket

In his new Easter outfit for church! Doesn't he look so handsome?

All the cousins on Tony's side

We look forward to this Sunday for an Easter celebration at Grandma Rose's. Also for Easter weekend we went to the Sand Dunes! Yes, we took Maximus and YES he did ride for 5 min with me on my moms four wheeler. I only went just around camp and to the base of Sand mountain. Here are a few pics of that. 

I also took Maximus in for a weight check up last Thursday and he was only 10lbs 4oz. So he only gained 2.5oz in two weeks. NOT GOOD. I've just decided that my baby is going to be small. I call the Dr in the morning to talk to him about it since he was gone on vacation during Spring Break. Also a few days ago we noticed a small bomb on his head that started oozing some stuff out of it. We're not sure if its because of his condition or what it could be. I gave it a few days and it cleared so we didn't take him into the dermatologist but I will ask him next time I go in what it could be. This is what it looked like...

Well, thats all for now! I had some video's but couldn't get them to work. I'll have to work with them later and see if I can get them up. 

Oxygen Update

We went to the cardiologist today to see about getting the oxygen off. We got good and bad news!

Bad news: We have to keep the oxygen on him
Good news: But only at night time! So during the day he doesn't have to wear it.

So I am happy about that and hopefully in 2 months we will get rid of it for good! Dr said that his pulmonary hypertension is only slightly elevated from normal. So thats good, we know its healing just slowly!

This is him helping the Dr with his ECHO test! He loves cords! I don't know why!

He is doing really good with his exercises and therapy. I am working with him multiple times a day on things. Today he also got a brace for his thumb. He likes to tuck it between his pointer finger and middle finger on his left hand so one of our therapists brought him a brace to help fix it. He only has to wear it a couple hours a day. So not too bad!

Also practicing to feed himself! He actually does pretty good! AND the other morning I had fed him at about 12am, put him back to bed. He got up at 6:30am to eat so I fixed a normal 2 oz bottle and after he was finished he got mad! So I thought well, if he is still hungry I'll go fix him another 2 oz bottle and whatever he doesn't finish I'll use for the next bottle. I was thinking he would only eat maybe a half an ounce more, oh no he ate the whole 2 oz! I was shocked! 4 oz! It was awesome. And he didn't even throw it up which is what I was afraid of. 

Also a couple of new videos

The other night I got out of my 5 min shower, and this is how I found him! 

And this is a video of him clicking his tongue 

PS

I look forward to showing you pictures of my handsome little man in his new Easter outfit I bought him! Have to wait until after Easter though! 

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!

Also Tony passed his practice Real Estate test, so now on to study for the real thing! Hopefully by next week he will be able to take it and pass it! Wish him luck.

I'm Cool!

Sorry it's been so long since an update! I'll try and make this not so long and boring.

First, can I tell you how proud I am of my little man? (and of myself)! We worked so hard to get his weight up in a week so we could get rid of the NG tube. We went to the Dr yesterday to weigh him and see! I was hoping for at least 9 lbs 15 oz because that would have put him at the 5 ounces he needed to gain. Well we put him on the scale and he was 10 lbs 1.5 oz!!! I was so shocked! I almost cried. I was so happy. He gained 7 oz in a week! Which is what  a "normal baby" is supposed to do on average. I was so proud and we got to get rid of the NG tube. I just pray he stays on track now or close to so he can keep gaining and be strong and healthy. I think he will. Now we just have to wait for the Cardiologist to give us the go ahead to get the oxygen off of him. I'm hoping that will happen on the 5th. That's when we see the Dr.

Maximus is also doing so good at head control and he is a lot more aware of his surroundings. He is getting so big and learning so much. He surprises me on a daily basis. He loves his claw fingers he chews on them all day long! He also chews on his binki and his bottle when he thinks he is finished eating. His new favorite thing to play with is his oxygen cord! I don't know how he gets a hold of it sometimes but he manages! I've caught him a few times with it and have a video. (just don't mind my baby talk)

Last week when we came home from the Dr and he had given me a whole bunch of new formula to try. One being the premie formula with higher calorie. he had told me to switch them out every few days and see which one he would tolerate best. So Monday I started using the premie one. I had gone into work this day (my last day, sad) and came home after to change my clothes and head to the movie (Hunger Games, excellent BTW) with my sister, nothing was different. I came home from the movie and Maximus's face was so red. I asked Tony why and he said maybe just because he was rubbing his face in the ground. I thought something was different because his face was really really red. I started feeding him (the same formula we had been giving him all day) and I noticed it just getting worse. So I took his clothes off and his whole body was covered in a rash! I panicked to say the least. I called Tony's mom who had him during the day and was drilling her on if she had used any new lotions or anything on him, she hadn't. I asked Tony, he hadn't done anything different. So the only thing I could figure was the formula or his skin was just breaking out with something new since he has such sensitive skin and and unknown condition! So I call the Dr and he tells me that he is sure it's the formula and not to use it and give him some benedryl and it should clear up in a few days. Thankfully it was gone by morning and it was just the allergic reaction to the formula! Talk about panic!  Here are some pictures of the rash I took with my phone, but they didn't take very well. He was a lot worse looking than in the pictures.

Grandma Rose took Maximus and Cousin Hulk shopping today at the Carter's outlet, needless to say they were both spoiled along with their other 2 cousins. Thanks Grandma Rose!

Grandma bought me these cool shades! I love them! 

This is my crazy cousin Hulk! Don't ya love his hair!

Some other cute recent photos

What's up homies!?

Yum! Love my fingers!

Ready to play some ball!

As I mentioned earlier I am officially a stay at home mom! It's bitter sweet and excited all at the same time. I am and already do miss my work (mostly just my co-workers) I love all of them and I have made life long friends. I feel like they are family and I am glad I can still go in and see them when I can and want. I am loving being home with my little man! And I am forever thankful to my wonderful husband Tony who has given me that opportunity and is working hard to provide. I know in my heart Heavenly Father will help us stay on the right track! I love you Tony!